D’Antoni also touched on Eric Gordon, and wanting to get him in the flow of the offense when he initially checks in, rather than running a specific set play.

With Luc Mbah a Moute back from injury, he knows that he’ll provide “constant smart play”. He should see an increased workload of minutes, as he eases his way back into the lineup and regular playoff rotation.

His defense is always leaned on, but will be especially zeroed in on Donovan Mitchell tonight. Utah head coach Quinn Snyder says that he expects even more out of his rookie, acknowledging the stellar campaign he’s had so far.

The injury to starting point guard Ricky Rubio was sudden, thrusting Mitchell into the role of primary ballhandler. While the change to point guard has been sudden, he should be better equipped for matchups, defensive assignments, and decision-making in the half court.

Quinn Snyder demanding more of Donovan Mitchell, acknowledging Ricky Rubio’s injury, his move to point guard against “the best team in the league” might be less than ideal. But he should be better prepared as far as matchups, recognizing defenses, decision-making.